Camera and settings have no relevence.

You can use a gray card in the position of the model. Shoot to get a single stack of pixels dead center in your histogram. Replace with model and test… you will be correct or damn close. Makes sure the camera does not pick up anything in the frame other than the gray card.

For the bottom fill, you can choose to use a silver sided reflector for a more brilliant fill (as shown here), or white side for a bit softer fill. If you choose the silver, make sure you can see the hotspot from the softbox in the silver board from the model’s position. If you cannot see a reflection from the silver board, there will be no fill. Angle accordingly: Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection… just like a mirror.

Is there an easy way to figure that out without a meter?

Would a large reflector work just as well as the board? If so, what color would you suggest, silver?

I too have used the rumpled aluminum foil trick many times. I had one 24×36 foam core board I covered last for over 20 years, see below.

For others reading this, the trick is to totally smear the board with a layer of white Elmer\\\\\\\’s glue (or similar). Quickly wash and dry your hands. Then get a roll of aluminum foil and place long strips of it shiny side down onto the glue. Press the foil into the glue with the flats of you hands. Let it wrinkle a bit otherwise you will have too harsh a reflection (almost like a dull mirror). By having wrinkles the reflections bounce off in different directions causing a softter look.

Of course you could glue the foil down with the shiny side up for a harder look. The overall cost is very little so why not?

Back in 1973 when I made my first foil reflector boards I cut a hole in the dead center of one. Then I ran a WD40-coated 3/16\\\\" bolt thru a large flat washer, thru the board, thru another washer and finally into a hollow aluminum tube which I had filled with epoxy. (Visualize a flat umbrella, rather than a curved one.)

Once the epoxy in the tube was hardened I could hold the rod in place on a light stand with one of my Larson Reflectasol clamps. (\\\\"Jawow\\\\" all Banana Club members!) BTW, after the epoxy set it was easy to remove the bolt for transport because the WD40 did not allow the epoxy to stick to the bolt yet the threads were permanently there for reassembly. These days I would use JB Weld Epoxy.

Because the rod and board were so light no counterweight was needed. With a nice long rod I could get the board positioned anywhere near the subject I wanted yet not be tripping over the lightstand. As I mentioned that board and rod lasted well over 20 years and survived many moves.

A good source of DIY materials is coming up: Christmas. During the week after Christmas and before New Year there isn\\\\\\\’t much going on so I swing by Dollar Stores, gift shops, Home Depot, etc. looking for rolls of gift wrap on the mark-down tables. I have found matte silver, shiny gold and other useful colors and patterns to use on home made reflectors or as backgrounds.

Later!

Terry Thomas…
the photographer
Atlanta, Georgia USA
http://www.TerryThomasPhotos.com

Fome Core is a brand name.
http://fomecore.net/

It is available at framing shops and sign stores. Art Supply Stores will really jack the price.

1. Made the board from a piece of fome core and trimmed the edges with gaffer’s tape.
The shiny material I used was purchased 22 years ago at B&H. It is a vinyl roll with a semi beaded shiny surface.
After the introduction of the fold up reflectors, it is a lot harder to find it at still photography stores. Video folks still use the material, so check with a video supply house. You can achieve nearly the same look with crumpled aluminum foil… slightly crumpled and then dulled with dulling spray. I have made a few like that.

A good alternative to Fome Core is Gator Board. It is more expensive, but it is way more sturdy. I use Gaffer Tape to do the edges and the seam.

Alternative shiny board material for headshots:
Polished Aluminum.
Shiny White Laminate
Aluminum Foil
Shiny Folding Reflector (5-in-0ne)
White piece of Fome Core

All work a little different in the amount of contrast, but I use all of them preferring to let the differences work to my advantage with different faces.

For instance, I would probably not use the shiny aluminum on an older face as the effect could actually enhance what we are usually trying to minimize. If it is a young face and I want a very bright bottom fill, I may go the shiny board.

Hope that helps.

You wrote, “The shiny board is 4 feet square and covered with a textured bright material.”

1. did you purchase this 4×4 reflector board or make it?

2a. if you made it, could you write about it?
2b. if it was manufactured, by whom & where did you get it?

3. what is the reflector board made of – foam core, cardboard, plastic, etc?

4. what is the textured bright material – aluminum foil?

On the V-Cards:
I found 4×8 foot foam core panels at Home Depot in their insulation department. Cost: just under $9 with taxes. On one side they are aluminum foil and on the other there is printed information (blue ink on a white-ish background). The guy at Home Depot says I can easily paint the printed side with a latex primer then once dry paint them any color I want. I am going to paint 4 white and 4 flat black.

Since the panels are foam core and foil they are delicate. So I will run a strip of clear shipping tape along all edges. When folded at a neat 45 degree angle at the corners that will add a bit of strength there.

And since they are cheap, light weight and foil covered I can cut one in half and end up with my own pair of 4×4 reflector boards.

Terry Thomas…
the photographer
Atlanta, Georgia USA.

PS
For future reference, I believe the correct spelling is “foam” not “fome”.

Cheers

BTW, the link to your Learn to Light DVD on this page is causing a Page Not Found error (at the time of this reply at least).